[Slacky]

Its not about private data. Its about personal data.

Saying that at the moment Im doing faff all about it.

[dazmond]

How would having photos of your customers houses posted on cleaning forums and websites fit into these new rules? before and after pressure washing, UPVC cleans etc.

are you serious?

do you think the government will recruit "internet police" to clamp down on this intrusive criminal behaviour?

its laughable......

[dazmond]

lots of window cleaners only have an address and a mobile phone number from their customers,a few  email addresses,thats it.....

[Arnold Palmer]

How would having photos of your customers houses posted on cleaning forums and websites fit into these new rules? before and after pressure washing, UPVC cleans etc.

are you serious?

do you think the government will recruit "internet police" to clamp down on this intrusive criminal behaviour?

its laughable......

Surely "internet police" would just need to be an algorithm...

[Crystal-clear]

on a serious note are they for real? this sounds so ludicrous should we be worried to pick up the phone or answer an email or have a disclaimer before we say 10 quid love to clean your windows what planet are they on?
if you ask a customer to opt in lol they will just cancel and think you are insane
so before i can call you back you will need to sign or click something saying you opt in this cant be right hopefully it isnt this crazy for us

[AuRavelling79]

I shall just sweetly carry on as I have done which is to keep my customers past and present on "George" and print the day's work which gets destroyed once entered on the software. If any customer or ex-customer ASKS me what info I have then I will tell them. If they ASK me to remove them from all my records (like someone I have dumped or even someone who has moved away) then I will.

However I MAY need to keep an old customers details for six years or whatever as their payments (or even outstanding debt)  will form part of my tax returns and if I get an inspection I may need to show the tax inspector where a payment showing in my bank account is from.

I really am going to do nothing except answer customers queries and comply with their wishes.

I reckon I will get between zero and one customer a year asking me. We shall see.

None of my business customers - including massive well known commercial names and local authorities - have asked me anything so far and I believe 25th May is the deadline.

[Crystal-clear]

I shall just sweetly carry on as I have done which is to keep my customers past and present on "George" and print the day's work which gets destroyed once entered on the software. If any customer or ex-customer ASKS me what info I have then I will tell them. If they ASK me to remove them from all my records (like someone I have dumped or even someone who has moved away) then I will.

However I MAY need to keep an old customers details for six years or whatever as their payments (or even outstanding debt)  will form part of my tax returns and if I get an inspection I may need to show the tax inspector where a payment showing in my bank account is from.

I really am going to do nothing except answer customers queries and comply with their wishes.

I reckon I will get between zero and one customer a year asking me. We shall see.

None of my business customers - including massive well known commercial names and local authorities - have asked me anything so far and I believe 25th May is the deadline.

Well said love the statement

[dazmond]

you must all be getting email after email off various companies about this......google,facebook,etc,etc...i know i have over the last few weeks.....

[Spruce]

I shall just sweetly carry on as I have done which is to keep my customers past and present on "George" and print the day's work which gets destroyed once entered on the software. If any customer or ex-customer ASKS me what info I have then I will tell them. If they ASK me to remove them from all my records (like someone I have dumped or even someone who has moved away) then I will.

However I MAY need to keep an old customers details for six years or whatever as their payments (or even outstanding debt)  will form part of my tax returns and if I get an inspection I may need to show the tax inspector where a payment showing in my bank account is from.

I really am going to do nothing except answer customers queries and comply with their wishes.

I reckon I will get between zero and one customer a year asking me. We shall see.

None of my business customers - including massive well known commercial names and local authorities - have asked me anything so far and I believe 25th May is the deadline.

But you can't delete an existing customer from George (I couldn't when I tried it once) unless you delete all their job history. You can't do that because the Receiver will ask for that detail if there is ever an investigation. I knwo it was 15 years ago, but the Receiver specifically told me that we needed to keep a list of all  our customers should they need it at any time.

The important thing is how we protect the limited info we have.

I doubt there would be any of us who would sell our customer data to third parties.

.

[andyM]

I knwo it was 15 years ago, but the Receiver specifically told me that we needed to keep a list of all  our customers should they need it at any time.

I wonder how a Cafe Owner, Hairdresser, Fast Food Outlet etc. could manage to accomodate the HMRC with that?!

[p1w1]

I knwo it was 15 years ago, but the Receiver specifically told me that we needed to keep a list of all  our customers should they need it at any time.

I wonder how a Cafe Owner, Hairdresser, Fast Food Outlet etc. could manage to accomodate the HMRC with that?!

The guy who usually cuts my hair told me a place he was working for years ago once had the hmrc in over a 3 day period so they could monitor and work out an average on how much the hairdressers/salon were actually receiving in tips (they sat next to the till).

[p1w1]

I shall just sweetly carry on as I have done which is to keep my customers past and present on "George" and print the day's work which gets destroyed once entered on the software. If any customer or ex-customer ASKS me what info I have then I will tell them. If they ASK me to remove them from all my records (like someone I have dumped or even someone who has moved away) then I will.

However I MAY need to keep an old customers details for six years or whatever as their payments (or even outstanding debt)  will form part of my tax returns and if I get an inspection I may need to show the tax inspector where a payment showing in my bank account is from.

I really am going to do nothing except answer customers queries and comply with their wishes.

I reckon I will get between zero and one customer a year asking me. We shall see.

None of my business customers - including massive well known commercial names and local authorities - have asked me anything so far and I believe 25th May is the deadline.

But you can't delete an existing customer from George (I couldn't when I tried it once) unless you delete all their job history. You can't do that because the Receiver will ask for that detail if there is ever an investigation. I knwo it was 15 years ago, but the Receiver specifically told me that we needed to keep a list of all  our customers should they need it at any time.

The important thing is how we protect the limited info we have.

I doubt there would be any of us who would sell our customer data to third parties.

.

I wonder how that would work now  if you were selling a round.

[AuRavelling79]

No Spruce that is true. But it is a legitimate need to keep certain details for e,g, tax and accounts. And you can modify the record so that it reads minimally ...

So that Mr and Mrs Jones, 99 Station Rd Anytown

Can become what you like within legitimate reason to maintain accounts/tax records

Title: None
House number ??
Address line 1 Station Rd
Address line 2 Removed under GDPR request
Address line 3 Minimal details retained for HMRC Accountancy purposes

[AuRavelling79]

p1w1 - as for selling a round then I believe you would have to tell the customers you are leaving and intend to introduce a new window cleaner - and ask is that okay with them?

To gain maximum retention I would use a mix of calling on them and writing to them to ask permission depending on how well I knew that particular customer. I would just ask if I could pass on their "window cleaning details" and leave it at that.

Certain customers may never give you permission, some may be happy with name and address only and others with phone number, amount and frequency.

In real life I'm sure most of us would be "flexible" if a new windy asked us a question we hadn't sought explicit permission for like "do they have their gutters cleaned?" or "what are they like for opening the gate?". 

[Spruce]

No Spruce that is true. But It is a legitimate need to keep certain details for e,g, tax and accounts. And you can modify the record so that it reads minimally ...

So that Mr and Mrs Jones, 99 Station Rd Anytown

Can become what you like within legitimate reason to maintain accounts/tax records

Title: None
House number ??
Address line 1 Station Rd
Address line 2 Removed under GDPR request
Address line 3 Minimal details retained for HMRC Accountancy purposes

Initially I had thought about Mr & Mrs Anonymous but I like your suggestion better.

For the moment we will leave things as they are. I know all of my customer's names as I ask all new ones their names, but sometimes need to look on the system as a prompt. The computer between my ears used to be good at retaining info, but unfortunately it doesn't work well any more.

We don't talk about our customers to others and we don't share info. On occassion I have warned other cleaners off customers who want cleans and don't pay, but that about all.
If someone broke into the van during the day and stole our PDA with Pocket George on it, then the only info on there that could be worth anything to is a fellow windie.

[dazmond]

i think you all worrying over nothing and reading too much into it TBH........